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This series represents a compilation of the biosafety consensus documents developed by the OECD Working Group on Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology over the periods 2011-12 (Volume 5) and 2013-15 (Volume 6). Volumes 5 and 6 describe the biology, centres of origin, genetics, hybridisation, production and use, and ecology elements of several crops (sugarcane, cassava, sorghum, common bean, cucurbits) and trees (eucalyptus species). They also provide considerations on pathogenicity factors in assessing the potential adverse health effects of bacteria, and the low level presence of transgenic plants in seed and grain commodities.The consensus documents contain information for use during the regulatory assessment of products of modern biotechnology, i.e. transgenic organisms (plants, animals, micro-organisms), when intended for release in the environment. As such, it should be of value to applicants for use of genetically-engineered organisms in agriculture mainly, to regulators and risk assessors in national authorities for their biosafety assessments, as well as the wider scientific community. More information on this OECD programme is found at BioTrack online (www.oecd.org/biotrack).

This series represents a compilation of the biosafety consensus documents developed by the OECD Working Group on Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology over the periods 2011-12 (Volume 5) and 2013-15 (Volume 6). Volumes 5 and 6 describe the biology, centres of origin, genetics, hybridisation, production and use, and ecology elements of several crops (sugarcane, cassava, sorghum, common bean, cucurbits) and trees (eucalyptus species). They also provide considerations on pathogenicity factors in assessing the potential adverse health effects of bacteria, and the low level presence of transgenic plants in seed and grain commodities.The consensus documents contain information for use during the regulatory assessment of products of modern biotechnology, i.e. transgenic organisms (plants, animals, micro-organisms), when intended for release in the environment. As such, it should be of value to applicants for use of genetically-engineered organisms in agriculture mainly, to regulators and risk assessors in national authorities for their biosafety assessments, as well as the wider scientific community. More information on this OECD programme is found at BioTrack online (www.oecd.org/biotrack).

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This report looks at farm management practices with green growth potential, from farmer-led innovations (such as those directly linked to soil and water, Integrated Pest Management, organic farming) to science-led technologies (such as biotechnology and precision agriculture). Global food demand can only be met in a sustainable way if new forms of agricultural production and innovative technologies can be unlocked to increase the productivity, stability, and resilience of production systems with goals beyond just raising yields, including saving water and energy, reducing risk, improving product quality, protecting the environment and climate change mitigation.

We face the challenges of developing a global food system that will feed a growing and more affluent population while preserving sensitive ecosystems, competing for limited natural resources, increasing agricultural productivity growth while mitigating and adapting to climate change and other threats, and contributing to rural area well-being.This report develops three contrasting scenarios to illustrate alternative futures, based on several global economic models and extensive discussions with relevant stakeholders, and outlines policy considerations to help ensure that future needs are met in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable manner. The scenarios highlight the fundamental uncertainties surrounding forward-oriented decision making, and point to the crucial importance of international co-operation across multiple policy areas.

“If He holds back the waters, there is drought; if He lets them loose, they devastate the land”. To be fair, that was in the days before governments played “a key role in developing targeted policy responses to market failures that impede the mitigation and allocation of drought and flood risks”, as the OECD report on Mitigating Droughts and Floods in Agriculture puts it.